Flygirl: I agree; "pissed" in American slang is about a 3 on the vulgarity scale.

Kate: Thanks for the link to the BBC "slang" article! It is hilarious.

Cheers,

Ron

An American friend of mine saw a pub called the Brahms and Liszt.
At first she thought that it referred to music.
She also tells about hearing a department in Marks and Spencers being reduced to silence after a loud American voice had been heard asking, "Does my fanny look big in this?"

Even though I'm pretty well versed in most of these mis-statements, I still slip up now and then. Some Scottish friends were visiting last summer (RVing around the US and Canada with 2 teenaged sons. That'll teach 'em...) and enquired about the distance to their next destination. I said that it was a "hell of a shag" and only caught myself when the group dissolved into laughter. Krikey.

Re: 'Pissed" in Brit-speak vs. Ameri-speak.

I know Europeans learn 'English' not 'American' in language classes, but didn't realize it at the time. On my first trip back to Germany as a teenager-without my parents, I met some German teens drinking beer out of the back of their car outisde my B&B and one of them asked me:
"Are you all the time pissed in America?" and I replied:
"No, I'm pretty happy."

In the US, medical doctors use the term "buttock" pronounced BUTT'x, but it is definitely not a word that is part of common American speech. "Bottom" or "seat" or "butt" (slang) are the common terms used to describe that particular body part!

Very funny thread. Here in Canada we use a mix of Brit and Ameri- speak, though Americanisms are more common now. I grew up with and still use "chips", "scones", "biscuits" (for cookies) and "bum" (for butt or buttocks). Also spell mummy with a "u". "Bloody" isn't too uncommon. There are a few distinctly Canadian words, which my parents still use: "serviette" for napkin, and "chesterfield" for sofa or couch. I heard on the radio that the slang use of the word "dick" originated in Canada. Not sure if that's true or not, but halfway between Toronto and Kingston there's a sign for a turn-off on the 401 called "Cobbledick Road". I'm almost thirty and this cracks me up every time I see it. I'm laughing now just thinking about it. What, pray tell, is a cobbledick?

This thread also got me to thinking about candy. Is it true that you don't have licorice all-sorts and winegums in the US? I heard even no jube-jubes? And yes, I feel dumb for asking :)

Kay - serviette and chesterfield aren't canadian words. They're British (actually I suspect that serviette is French, adopted by the Brits).

Well there you go! I wonder if there are ANY purely Canadian words? All I'm left with now is cobbledick :o

Kay M,
We have licorice of all sorts, do you mean jelly beans? We have wine and gum, but never heard of winegum. You can get Ju Ju Bs.

I am under the belief that "bum" derived from Brits saying "bottom". True?

I had heard from certain British friends that serviette is dinner napkin and napkin is a diaper (nappies)..
You can get Juju Bees in any movie theater along with the malted milk balls and Gummy bears:)
We have all kinds of licorice but not sure about the Gumwines.
Chesterfield is the style of sofa, so that makes sense, like calling a refrigerator - a Frigidair (very old fashioned btw)
I love this thread :D

Licorice all-sorts are widely vailable here (I love em!) but usually are imported from Canada or the UK. Don't know about winegums.

Careful, now, the other thing no-one's touched on is how English English can be used for social distinctions. This goes back a long way, to a (slightly tongue-in-cheek) academic article which inspired the notion U and non-U (for upper class, upper crust, upper whatever). Napkin is U, serviette is definitely non-U, as were fish-knives (which you never see now anyway), milk in first and heaven knows what else. Some of this is a bit of a tease, and the real target is the teeth-clenchingly pretentious (Hyacinth Bucket, for those who watch the programme). A useful overview is at
http://www.editorsoffice.de/language_stuffy.htm

Oh and just to confuse the issue, the French serviette is a towel. Or a face cloth, in case anyone wants to launch into that thread again.

I was feeling under the weather earlier this week and missed one day of work. An associate in UK that I email on a daily basis extended her sympathies when I returned to work and advised me to "keep (my) pecker up"!!!
After laughing hysterically I had to inform her that since I was a woman I had no pecker to "hold" up! When she realized what she'd said in American English I could feel her blushing all the way from Yorkshire!

It's pronounced "Bouquet" :D

It makes sense that Canadians of certain generations would use "serviette" if it's non-U (upper class?) in Britian. I know my ancestors came here because they were very non-U. But why would the term survive in Canada but not the US? Or does it? And I never knew that about chesterfields. Ya learn a new thing everyday :)

For those poor souls deprived of licorice allsorts, they are an assortment of licorice flavoured bite-sized chewy candies. There is a picture of them here (I am not affiliated with this canady co) http://www.candywarehouse.com/willical3kgc.html

My deepest sympathies with regards to the total lack of winegums. Winegums are my greatest weakness, the most delicious gummy candy ever. You can see them here http://www.candywarehouse.com/winegums.html

And- I think jube jubes are a different animal from the famous ju-ju b's. Jube jubes are similar to winegums but have a softer texture and brighter colours. They are also extraordinarily sweet. I think ju-ju b is a brand? "Jube jube" describes the candy, many companies make them. Never sold in a box.

I could start talking about ketchup flavoured potatoe chips, but I'm gaining weight just thinking about all this candy :D

Kay, you astound me with your candy know how :D

I wish we could have a long chat on chocolate, but I am getting hungry myself ~

Please don't get me started on chocolate, Scarlett. I'd go into a phantom diabetic coma, or something :D

I am the person for whom low-carb diets were invented. 'nuff said.

Then go read Batuffolinas Choco-holic thread :)

I just did. God help me, I thought the hotel was going to be made of chocolate. Like an ice-hotel.

Can't remember where I heard about this Web site (maybe here?) But check this one out. Site is called "Nice cup of tea and a sit down"!!
http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com

Many items of interest for expats, including biscuit reviews (English and Oz bikkies, American cookies). Their tea of choice is my own fave, PG Tips in the clever tetrahedon teabag. I bring them back to the US in the Very Large size box. Security in bad weather (topical note) is a good stash of real tea, and my camping stove to boil water.